Pieces of my Soul
by Katalina Tomlin
Summary: Collection of one-shots and drabbles. "My most addictive drug? Simple. Her smile." Mostly SoulxMaka.
1. Stuck behind the couch

_Hi guys! This is the first story (original title: Secret Confessions) from my collection of Soul Eater one-shots. The remastering of it took a little bit longer than anticipated. Originally, I had planned to upload it yesterday. But as I was working on it, the story suddenly evolved on its own. The basic idea is still there but the ending and most of the paragraphs are brand new. I hope I was able to improve my writing skills and the overall flow of the story._

 _And I hope you enjoy reading it! If you find any mistakes or just want to tell me your opinion, please don't hesitate to do so. :)_

 _Disclaimer: I wouldn't be writing fanfiction for it if I owned Soul Eater, right? (Well, maybe I would. Who knows?)_

* * *

In which Maka gets stuck behind the couch

* * *

She didn't know how she'd ended up stuck behind the sofa, eavesdropping on the guys' conversations with her butt and her legs and her arms and basically everything going numb. And it all had started out so innocently when she had decided to do the chores this morning.

Leaving the apartment so he wouldn't get in the way of Maka's weekly cleaning tantrum, Soul thought it'd be best to hang with the guys in the meantime (Blair had already fled the apartment twenty minutes ago). Grabbing his keys from the side table near the front door, he turned around to peer into the kitchen where Maka was already furiously scrubbing the stove top.

"Well, I'm off", he called to which Maka only lifted one of her gloved hands to lazily wave at him. Seconds later she heard the door slam shut behind him. She rubbed her forehead carefully, trying not to get soap all over her face, and diligently continued scrubbing.

Two hours later, she had washed up all the dishes, scrubbed every inch of the kitchen, cleaned out the fridge and the oven, dusted all the surfaces in the living room and especially the TV (that annoying dust catcher), cleaned the bathroom thoroughly, got rid of the mess in Soul's room, changed both of their bed sheets, done the laundry and vacuumed everywhere but the living room.

"Almost done", she yawned as she stretched her arms high above her head to relax her tired muscles. Then she bent down to turn on the vacuum cleaner again to finish up for the day. This was the moment the chain of her necklace she had got from Soul for Christmas last year broke and the wonderfully sparkling pendant (a little scythe) fell onto the floor and skidded under the sofa.

She had gotten mad at him when she had opened the present to find the very expensive looking necklace inside. In return he had gotten mad at her for not accepting his present when she had practically forced him to accept hers (tickets to a show he'd been wanting to see). So they had ended up storming into their separate rooms, only to come out ten minutes later to apologize and to continue their Christmas meal as if nothing had ever happened.

Now she cursed under her breath and crouched down to see if she could reach the pendant from here but she couldn't see anything, so she stood up again and moved the furniture to get a better look. Finally spotting the jewelry, she crawled behind the couch to reach it. At that moment, the front door opened and slammed shut again shortly after. Maka turned around to see who had entered but the voice calling her name proved her no wrong that Soul had returned.

She was about to call out to him to help her get out from behind the couch when a booming voice interrupted her, "Black Star has made his entrance!"

Sounds of several footsteps entered the living room. For a second, it was eerily silent. "Dude, where's Maka?", Black Star's voice asked before he threw himself onto the sofa with full force, pushing it back in the process.

Maka who now found herself stuck between the wall and the couch let out a surprised shriek which went unnoticed by everyone else. The pressure on her body was suffocating and dust started filling her nostrils. She could already feel the sneeze coming. The couch rumbled and squeaked and she figured that Soul now also sat on it.

"Maybe she remembered that she needed to buy something important and went out to get it", a voice Maka recognized as Kid's speculated. She heard him take a seat on the armchair.

"Went out without finishing cleaning? Nah, I don't think so", Soul remarked and shifted his weight, so he could put his feet on the coffee table. Maka instantly gritted her teeth as she heard the material of his sneakers meet the glassy surface. She had told him multiple times to stop doing that. And she had also just cleaned that glass pane.

"After all, what could be more important than cleaning?", Soul mocked and they all chuckled. Maka felt her blood boil. Oh boy, he was so dead! She was about to open up her mouth to give him a piece of her mind from behind the couch when she was interrupted once more.

This time it was Kid who spoke up before she had the chance to. "Say, Soul. Have you told her yet?", he asked.

The atmosphere in the room immediately changed and Maka wondered who Kid was talking about. "Haven't told her yet", Soul simply retorted and she thought she could hear some sort of weird undertone in his voice.

"Why no-", Kid was about to ask when Black Star's booming voice rang out again, "Who're we talkin' 'bout?"

Kid huffed and then cleared his throat. "Gee! How often do I have to tell you to not interrupt a conversation you're not part of?"

"I, the godly Black Star, can interrupt whenever I want to! Also, I am always part of all conversations! So, who're you speakin' of?", was Black Star's confident and loud (mostly loud) answer.

"Maka, who else?", Kid's annoyed voice responded before he cleared his throat once again, seemingly turning his attention back to their white-haired buddy. "So?", he added as a question. "What are you going to do from now on?"

Groaning, Soul leaned his head back to stare at the ceiling. "I dunno", he said after some while. "I really don't know how to tell her."

Huh? What were they talking about? Considering the atmosphere had changed so drastically, it must have been something important. _But if it's really important, why hasn't Soul talked to me about it yet?,_ Maka pondered as she tried to find a slightly more comfortable position.

"Tell her what?" Black Star now asked in her stead. His voice sounded almost as angry as Maka had felt only mere minutes ago. He really hated to feel left out.

"Tell her that he likes her", Kid answered as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Suddenly the sofa rumbled again and Soul snarled, "Idiot! Why did you tell him?!" Sighing afterwards, he leaned back into the cushions. The two other males were quiet and probably staring at him in confusion. Maka was confused, too. Why would Soul need to tell her that he liked her? It was obvious they liked each other. They were partners and roommates after all. _And why wouldn't he want Black Star to know?_ , she thought as she desperately tried to understand what Soul was mumbling.

"Sheesh!", he murmured and sighed again. "I didn't want him to know because he'd just blurt it out whenever possible. Too late now."

"Hyahoo!", was all Black Star shouted before Maka heard a painful slap and a wincing Soul. "Finally! You've got to tell her, man!" Then he turned his attention to Kid. "Guess you won the bet, huh? I owe you twenty bucks."

"Twenty bucks? What?", Soul asked.

Kid sighed and scratched the back of his head. "Please, don't get mad. But we've been betting on... you know. When you guys would finally end up together."

Maka's ears immediately perked up. _What... ?_

"Not cool", Soul growled and leaned back to stare at the ceiling again. "Is it really that obvious?"

"Well, yeah", Kid said. "If someone as dumb as Black Star figured it out on his own, then yes, it's pretty obvious."

"What, you - ?!", Black Star protested as expected. "You lookin' for a fight or something?"

"Obvious for everyone but that thick-headed, stubborn and annoyingly persistent bookworm then", Soul groaned and threw his arm across his face. "Really, how can she be so smart and stupid at the same time?!"

If Maka hadn't been so preoccupied with the fact that her cheeks were burning and her mind was racing, she might have gotten mad at him for that remark. Instead, she was shutting her eyes closed and trying to figure out if what she'd heard could really be the truth. Could it be... ? Was Soul really... in _love_ with her?! She had expected him to confess anything. Anything! For example that he broke the remote control once again or that he ate all of her favorite yogurt. But this? She really hadn't expected _this_!

Her heart thumped so loudly in her chest now she was sure the guys were bound to hear it. Shifting into a more comfortable position again, she thought about how there was no chance in hell that she would reveal her presence now. Not after what she had heard! She was about to adjust her position again when she saw a spider crawling only inches from her finger. Pulling her hand away quickly and squeaking softly in the process, Maka slapped a hand over her mouth to prevent another shrill noise from escaping her throat.

The quiet chatter in the room immediately died down when Soul asked, "Did you just hear that?"

Maka was sure she'd been done for. They had heard her. They knew she was there. And if they looked behind the couch now, there was nothing else to do but to wish that the ground would open and swallow her right up. Seconds ticked by and she felt a drop of sweat run down the side of her face, awaiting the moment they'd look and find her here.

But to her surprise, both Kid and Black Star said "no". They hadn't heard, thank God!

"Huh", Soul mumbled. "Must be imagining things then." He stood from the sofa and stretched, his limbs creaking and cracking quietly. "I really could go for some coffee right now."

"Good idea", Kid agreed and got up from the armchair as well. "I know a place where they sell the best coffee you will ever drink. And their shop is so wonderfully and symmetrically decorated, too."

"Yahoo!" Black Star shot up from the couch and bolted for the front door. "Let's go then!"

With a chuckle, the other two followed him out the apartment. After the door finally closed behind them, Maka waited for another few minutes to make sure no one came back before jumping up from her hiding spot frantically. A shiver ran down her spine and she quickly shook herself. That spider had been _too close_ for comfort. Then she sighed a breath of relief. For a moment there, she really thought they had noticed her.

A hand to her chest, she sighed again, loudly. What a mess! She hadn't meant to eavesdrop on Soul and the others and now she knew something she wished she hadn't heard. How was she supposed to act normally around Soul now?! She opened her hand and looked at the pendant, glistening in the rays of sunshine falling into the room from the window behind her. Did Soul really like her _that way_? Maybe she had just misunderstood? But Kid had clearly said "like her" and "end up together". So maybe it was true?

"Oh, what a mess", she moaned and decided it'd be best to finish up her cleaning to hopefully distract her from her racing mind. She shoved the broken necklace and pendant deep into her skirt's pocket, reminding herself to later go to the jewelry store to get it repaired. Then she grabbed the vacuum cleaner and finished her chores for the day.

Half an hour later, her thoughts were still busy with the things she had heard today. Groaning, she threw herself onto her bed and smashed her head into the pillow. After having heard that her longtime partner and best friend was in love with her, she could try as she might but she just couldn't keep thinking of anything else. Gah! Turning around so she would lay on her back, she grabbed another pillow, pressed it to her chest and stared at the ceiling.

She continued to stare off into the distance, trying to figure out her own feelings, until the sun began to set and early evening crept into Death City. Did she like Soul? Maka huffed at herself. What a stupid question. Of course, she liked him. They were partners after all. But did she really like him _that_ way?

 _Well, he is cool_ , she thought. _And even though he always pretends to be tough and distant, he actually is just a big softie._ Maka chuckled quietly. He always cared for her. And he took her around on his bike and on movie nights he let her choose, even though she knew he hated romance comedies. And her heart always skipped a beat when he looked at her with those crimson eyes. And how many times had she caught herself, just dreamily staring at him from afar.

Maka hid her face beneath the pillow as she felt her cheeks burn up. So maybe she liked him, too. Liked him for quite a while already, to be honest. But she would have never imagined he would return those feelings. So then... Should she tell him? But what if she misunderstood? Could she really risk their friendship? After all, she had no idea what a successful relationship was supposed to look like (with her father being a womanizer and everything). What if it didn't work out? She'd lose her best friend. And there was no way in hell she'd survive that.

"What do I do?", Maka groaned into her pillow.

All of a sudden, she heard the front door close, causing her to jump slightly. She sat up on her bed and clutched the pillow even tighter. Someone had entered the apartment. Maka hoped with all her might it was only Blair returning from work. She wasn't ready to face Soul yet! She had no idea what to say or how to react. She'd make a fool out of herself!

The deep voice calling from the living room did sadly not belong to Blair. "Maka? You home?"

For a moment, she wondered if she could pretend that she _wasn't_ home. She eyed the window suspiciously and thought, for a split second, that maybe she could jump down without breaking all her bones. The loud, sudden knock on her door startled her and she shot up in a panic. What to do, what to do, what to do?! Without even waiting for an answer, the door cracked open and Soul peeked into the room. Maka stopped dead in her tracks and tried to look as normal as possible. Her hands were shaking, her knees trembling and the grin on her face felt strained, even to herself.

"S-Soul, hi", she stuttered and mentally slapped herself. So much for acting normal.

Soul now opened the door fully and looked at her strangely. "Are you alright? Didn't you hear me?"

"No, no, I'm fine", Maka sputtered. "I... er... I was taking a nap, sorry."

"A nap?", he repeated and his eyes traveled to the tangled sheets on her bed which, thankfully, looked quite convincing.

"Yes, I, erm, might have overdone it with the cleaning earlier", she explained and laughed nervously. "I, uh, was pretty tired."

"Huh", Soul retorted. "That's what you get for being a neat freak. Anyway, I organized something for dinner, so c'mon." With that, he turned around and went back into the living room.

Maka pressed a hand to her forehead and sighed, mentally scolding herself for being such an idiot. _Way to go, Maka. What are you doing, acting like a lovestruck teenage girl?! Pull yourself together!_

Dragging a hand through her messy hair, she sighed again. What was she supposed to do? Should she tell him? Or should she wait until he confessed first? Or maybe it would be best to pretend that today's events had never happened? But how was she supposed to forget something like that? Oh, how she wished she'd never heard it in the first place!

"Maka!", Soul called from the living room. "Are you coming or what?"

His voice caught her off guard and for a moment, she didn't know how to respond. Then she quickly shook herself and went to join Soul in the living room. "Yeah, I'm here, sorry", she said with a sheepish grin and scratched the back of her head.

Soul who was already preparing plates and cutlery for the dinner he'd brought looked up from the coffee table and raised an eyebrow at her. "You sure you're alright?"

"O-of course", Maka said and hoped he hadn't noticed the stutter. "I'm just sleepy, is all."

He looked at her once again, not quite convinced but let it slide anyway. Instead, he opened the boxes of food on the coffee table. From the look and smell of it, it was some sort of pasta. As he started scooping the pasta onto the two plates in front of him, he looked up at her again. "Can you get some drinks?"

"S-sure."

"Oh, and bring some paper towels. This might end in a mess."

Maka nodded and quickly fled into the kitchen. There was no way she could pretend that she didn't know. He didn't seem to be acting any different from usual, though. She sighed and opened the fridge to take out some soda. Maybe it was all a misunderstanding after all. _It must be_ , she thought as she grabbed the paper towels from the kitchen counter. _You've been acting stupid for nothing._

While she had been in the kitchen, Soul had turned on the TV. He was watching some crime show when Maka stepped into the living room, his feet propped up on the coffee table beside the plates of pasta he had prepared. Shoving his feet off of the table and setting one of the sodas in front of him, she sat down beside him, eyeing him out of the corner of her eye as he bent down to grab one of the plates.

He handed it to her along with some cutlery. Maka took both and carefully balanced the plate on her knees while Soul prepared some paper towels. "Here, in case you make a mess of yourself", he said with a grin as he handed them to her as well.

Maka jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow and narrowed her eyes at him playfully. "Idiot. I'm perfectly capable of eating like a normal person."

"Sure you do." His grin widened. "So, what have you been up to today?", he asked as he dug into his own food.

"Oh", Maka started without looking up from her own plate. "Um, cleaning. Nothing much. And you?"

"Hung out with Black Star and Kid", was his reply. She glanced over at him but he wasn't looking at her. Instead, he was following the plot of whatever crime show was on right now.

"And? Did something interesting happen?", she asked nervously.

He looked up, grimaced for a split second and then shrugged nonchalantly. "Not really." His eyes quickly drifted back to the television screen.

Maka thought she might have imagined the quick change in expression and started poking the pasta with her fork. She was way too nervous to eat right now.

"And you?"

"Huh?" She looked up again. "W-what about me?"

Soul raised an eyebrow. "I mean, did something interesting happen while cleaning?"

"Oh, uh..." He had caught her off guard twice now. What was wrong with her? _Pull yourself together, Maka! You're making a fool of yourself!_ "Um, actually, yeah. The necklace you got me for Christmas last year broke. I'll need to get it repaired."

"Really? Show me", Soul responded and put his plate down on the coffee table. Maka carefully reached into the pocket of her skirt and pulled out the broken necklace and pendant. Before she could even do anything else, Soul had already grabbed it out of her hand.

While he was inspecting the piece of jewelry closer, Maka tried to calm her heartbeat. _Calm down, Maka. It's not like that was the first time he'd touched your hand. You're being ridiculous._ But the little voice in her head didn't stop. _I wonder what it'd feel like to hold his hand. I wonder what it'd feel like to brush my fingers through his hair. I wonder what it'd feel like to kiss him. What it'd feel like to pull him close, to crush my body against his in a heated kiss while his hands run up and down my body and -_

Maka shook her head forcefully to get rid of all those confusing (and quite embarrassing) thoughts. _Stop, stop, stop!,_ she scolded herself harshly and the little voice in her head quickly quieted down. _You can't be thinking things like that while he's right there!_

Her abrupt movement attracted Soul's attention. He looked at her strangely with raised brows and a slight grin on his lips. "You okay?"

Averting her eyes to stare at her pasta, she curtly nodded. "I-I'm fine, don't worry."

"Are you sure? Your face got all red." Out of the corner of her eye, she could see him cock his head to the side to get a better look at her face. Her cheeks burned up even brighter. This had to be one of the most embarrassing moments in her life! And she was used to embarrassment because of her father!

"I-I told you, I'm fine!", she stuttered. "Quit staring at me, idiot!"

Soul blinked once, twice, three times. She could clearly see it in her peripheral vision. Then the grin on his face suddenly widened. "No way!", he exclaimed and laughed. "You were thinking of something embarrassing, right?"

Crap! Why did he have to know her so well?!

"N-no, I wasn't", she meekly tried to object but Soul was having none of that.

"Hell yes, you were!" His pointy grin widened even further, if possible. "What were you thinking about?" He mockingly gasped. "Don't tell me... you were thinking about your crush?"

The sheer look of horror on Maka's face was enough for him to burst out into another fit of laughter. Crap, crap, crap! Why did his guesses have to be so exact?! "I- w-", she sputtered. "W-what are you talking about? I wasn't thinking anything like that at all!" But her burning cheeks betrayed her once again.

"Yeah, sure", he replied between fits of laughter. "So, who is it?"

All Maka could do was stare at him, exasperated and lost for words. How had the situation all of a sudden gotten even more embarrassing?! She bit down the urge to cover her face with her hands and rather resorted to simply turning to stone. Maybe it wasn't too late yet to jump out the window.

The lack of reaction caused Soul to temporarily quiet down to intently study her instead, eyebrow still raised, grinning from ear to ear and waiting patiently. Before Maka even had the chance to consider actually jumping out the window, the phone rang out near the front door.

"I'll go!" The words had left her mouth without her even noticing. This was her chance to get away! In one swift motion, she put her plate on the table and shot up. As she bolted for the telephone, her foot caught on Soul's leg, causing her to stumble forward. Instinctively, Soul grabbed her by the arm to keep her from falling.

"Gee, careful!" Only once he was sure she'd successfully regained her balance, he pulled his hand away. "Are you sure you're okay, Maka? You're acting kinda weird today."

Maka whose head was now even a deeper shade of red could not find any coherent words anymore, so she just nodded and proceeded with wobbly knees. _Please, somebody! Just release me from this agony!_

Clearing her throat nervously, she finally took the phone call. "H-Hello?"

"Yo, Maka! It's me, the godly Black Star, calling!", the voice on the other end loudly proclaimed.

"Black Star?" Maka turned her head to look at Soul who'd turned his attention back to the TV, his feet once again propped up on the glassy surface of their coffee table. As soon as she'd spoken the name, Soul looked up with an expression Maka didn't quite recognize.

Without giving it a second thought, she concentrated on the phone call again. "Do you need something?", she asked. "Do you want to talk to Soul?"

"Nah", Black Star's voice rang out again, in a volume which made her ears jingle. Why did he always have to yell like that? "Just wanted to get an update. He told you yet?"

Even though Maka knew _exactly_ what he was talking about, she pretended not to know and innocently asked, "Told me what?" With a side glance, she registered how Soul sat up straight with an even stranger expression on his face now.

"Huh, guess he hasn't told you yet, then", Black Star said and burst into a booming laughter. "That guy really has no balls!"

"I don't think I understand, Black Star. Is there something Soul needs to talk to me about?", Maka asked, in the most innocent voice she could muster. She was starting to enjoy this.

Black Star was about to explain (Maka heard him inhale) when the telephone was whipped out of her hand in a rapid movement. She hadn't even noticed how Soul had suddenly sneaked up behind her.

"I'll call back", he growled into the receiver before hanging up.

"Hey!", she complained, only half of her actually meaning it. The other half was having too much fun pretending. "What was that all about? That was very rude, Soul. Even for your standards."

Soul didn't respond right away. Instead, he dragged a hand through his unkempt white hair and sighed. This. This was it! This was her chance at revenge! Revenge for all the embarrassment he'd caused her today!

So Maka cocked her head to one side innocently, batted her eyelashes at him and said, "Black Star mentioned you had something you wanted to talk to me about. What is it?"

She watched his shoulders visibly tense and finally it was her time to feel smug. _Oh, yes. Caught you. Who's embarrassed now?_

"Nothing", Soul grumbled and abruptly turned to walk back to the couch. As he passed her, she could see a slight tint of red on his face. For a second, a complacent grin broke out on her lips before she replaced it with an angelic smile. Clasping her hands behind her back, she turned around and beamed at him.

"Huuuuh? Are you sure, Soul?", she asked and fluttered her eyelashes. "It sounded important."

"I already told you it's nothing", he grumbled again, not once averting his eyes from the television screen. But the tinge of color on his cheeks still remained.

Maka was thoroughly enjoying herself now. It was too easy to tease him. "But Soul", she pouted and tried her best to look as cute as possible. "If it's really nothing, then why would Black Star call to ask me about it? And why is your face turning red?"

The shade on his cheeks deepened and Maka's angelic smile turned smug. Soul blinked a few times. Then he opened his mouth but nothing came out. Taking her revenge one step farther, Maka stepped closer and cocked her head to the other side now. "Is there something you want to tell me?", she purred. "Soul?"

Closing his eyes and sighing deeply, Soul ran his fingers through his hair and leaned back into the cushions, defeated. There was no point in trying to hide it now. With furrowed eyebrows, he looked up at Maka who was still smiling at him. "You're right", he grumbled. "There is something I wanted to tell you."

For a split second, Maka's smile wavered. He... he wasn't actually going to confess now, was he? _T-there's no way, right? He's not really going to do it, right?_

With a deep breath, Soul sat up straight and stared Maka right in the eye who, in turn, slightly gulped. "Maka, I...", he began and scratched his neck nervously. Maka was starting to freak out now. Was he actually going to confess to her? "I... broke the remote control. Again. Sorry."

 _What?_ Maka's eye twitched. That idiot. _So, that's the game you want to play, huh? Fine, mister, if that's how you want it._ Her smile widened a bit as her eyes landed on the TV remote on the coffee table. "Really?", she asked and bent down to grab it before Soul could even comprehend what she was doing. With a swift press of the button, Maka turned the TV off. "Are you sure it's broken? It seems to be working just fine."

Soul just stared at her, dumbfounded. A frantic expression washed over his features. Then he shook his head and quickly regained his composure. "Okay", he said. "That was a lie. What I actually wanted to tell you was..."

"Yes?" The smug smile had returned.

"I ate all of your yogurt", he replied and shrugged, as if he could hide his nervousness that way. "I know you told me not to do it but I did anyway. Sorry."

Maka blinked. "Are you sure?", she asked innocently and put one finger to her chin thoughtfully. "I recall seeing it in the fridge when I grabbed the soda. I might have imagined it, though. I can double-check if you want." With that, she turned to walk over into the kitchen to prove her point.

"Wait, wait!", Soul called out frantically and shot up from the couch to grab her wrist, preventing her from going any further. "That was a lie, too."

"Huh?", she said and turned around to look at him, batting her eyelashes in the process. "So, what's the truth then, Soul?"

If possible, the expression on his face was even more frantic now. His mouth twitched as if he wanted to say something but he never did.

Maka's grin widened. "Soul?"

For a moment, he just stared at her. Then he huffed angrily and averted his gaze. "Geez, woman!", he grumbled. "How can you be so stupid?!"

Her face dropped. She hadn't expected him to say something like that. "Excuse me?", she indignantly retorted. "I'm not the one telling lies! Which, by the way, aren't even very convincing!"

His eyebrows furrowed. He was getting mad now, too. "Well, excuse me if you're too stubborn, unreasonable and thick-headed to get it!"

"Unreasonable?!" Maka's eyes narrowed dangerously. "I'm not the unreasonable one here!"

"How can someone who pretends to be so smart all the time be so painfully blind to the obvious?!", Soul continued.

Maka gawked at him, speechless. Her left eye twitched. "Well, if it's so obvious, why don't you just spit it out already?!", she shrieked, pulled her hand away and stomped past him. How could she have ever thought that this idiot, this _jerk_ would actually like her back? She had been so stupid!

"Fine, I love you, god damn it!", he barked. "Are you happy now?!"

"Huh?" This time, Maka's confusion was genuine when she turned around to face him again. She still didn't quite trust her own ears. _Did... did he just actually say it?_ All the anger from a few seconds ago dissipated into thin air while she looked at him with wide eyes. "You... you do?", she finally stuttered.

Soul's shoulders dropped as the tension left his body. He stared at her, blinking. "Of course I do, idiot", he then calmly said, a soft grin spreading across his face. "Man, you really are stupid, huh?"

She tried to get angry at him for that remark but no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't. "Are you sure you love me?", she asked, still not fully grasping the whole situation.

He raised an eyebrow playfully. "Did you just honestly ask me that?"

Maka's face went bright red with embarrassment and she quickly ducked her head to stare at her feet instead. "W-well", she sputtered and played with the hem of her skirt. "I-I thought I was so stupid and stubborn and... unreasonable and thick-headed..."

This time, Soul laughed which caused Maka to glance up at him through her bangs. "That's 'cause you are! You're the most stubborn, persistent, unreasonable and thick-headed person I've ever met." Then his expression softened and she quickly looked away again. "But you're also smart and strong and independent. You never take crap from anybody, not even me. And you're not afraid to voice your opinion. That's what I like about you. Oh, and let's not forget, you're hella cute."

She felt her cheeks burn up even brighter and hurriedly buried her face in her hands. She'd never thought she'd hear something like that from Soul! Her partner and best friend who teased her all the time and who could sometimes be a real jerk!

With a grin on his lips, said jerk now stepped closer and took her hands in his to softly pry them away from her face. Maka desperately tried to look anywhere but his eyes. Soul's grin widened. "Want me to say it again?", he asked and swung their hands from side to side as if they were children. "I love you, dummy."

At this, Maka finally looked up.

The smile on his face could have melted even the coldest of hearts. He reached up to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Now that I've spilled my feelings, it's your turn", he said with a slight twinkle in his eye. Was it nervousness? "Do you love me, too?"

"I...", Maka started but the words she wanted to speak quickly faded from her mind. She bit her lower lip. How hard could it be to say she loved him? After all, he'd been able to say it twice now! Surely, it couldn't be that hard, right? Then why wasn't her mouth opening? Why were no words coming out? _Come on, Maka! You can do it!_ , she scolded herself. But no matter how hard she willed for words to come out, there were none. Her mind was completely blank.

While she was mentally fighting with herself, Soul was patiently waiting, without even raising so much as an eyebrow. The only sign of nervousness was a slight twitching of his mouth. _Well, if the words have betrayed me, there's only one other way then_ , she thought and bit her lower lip again. Then she gathered all her courage, put her arms around his neck and pressed her lips to his.

After a moment of bewildered stiffness, she felt the corners of his mouth curl upwards before he wrapped his arms around her waist to pull her even closer. Seconds later, they broke apart for air. "Well", he breathed against her lips, still grinning. "That's a yes, I guess."

"Oh, shut up", she sighed and kissed him again, only to squeak in surprise a second later when he lifted her up to carry her over to the couch. Laying her down carefully, he pressed his lips to her throat a few times before slowly wandering back up to her mouth. "What... if... Blair... comes... home...", she gasped in-between kisses, causing his grin to widen even more.

"Don't worry", he chuckled and his hand started to wander up and down her leg. "She's got to work the night shift today. She won't be home for another few hours." With another grin, he kissed her once more and Maka forgot everything else she'd wanted to say that moment. Maybe getting stuck between the couch and the wall had its advantages after all.


	2. Fragile

_Hi guys! Sorry for the late update! I'm still trying to figure out a schedule that'll work out for me, especially when I start the new job in November. I won't have as much time as I have right now, so I'm trying to write as much as I can in advance. But last week's been kinda busy. That's why I'm a bit behind._

 _This little drabble is a remnant of my old profile. Compared to the last chapter, it's a lot shorter, I know. But I still hope you'll enjoy reading it! The next one will be longer again. If you find any mistakes or have constructive criticism or suggestions for me, please don't hesitate to message me! :)_

 _Disclaimer: I wish I owned Soul Eater but sadly I don't._

* * *

Fragile

* * *

Watching her sleep somehow calms him, makes him feel at ease, reassures him that, yes, she is still alive and breathing. It makes his heart swell with happiness, with pride that he hasn't failed her, that he has successfully protected her from the harm which once again has found its way into their lives. He smiles while he watches her fragile form turn in her peaceful slumber, mumbling his name oh so softly and clutching her pillow closer to her chest.

Because it _is_ easy to just jump in front of her, taking the hit she wouldn't survive, because it _is_ easy – cushy even – to just bleed out slowly. It _is_ easy to die by protecting her, because that's what his duty as a Weapon is. Protecting his Meister is his top priority and he will always make sure that at least she comes out safely.

Even if she cries and tells him how reckless he is and even though he's a sucker for tears, he will favor this over seeing her cold and white as snow, lying lifelessly on the ground, dead eyes staring up at him and blood drying on her porcelain like skin. Because he simply cares, because his heart belongs to her and her alone, because he loves her. It's as simple as that but there's still this lingering feeling in his stomach and this unbearable fear in the back of his mind. He tries to push those thoughts away and decides that he will do anything for her. After all, it's easy to just close your eyes and fall asleep, perfectly knowing they will never open again.

But it would be hard living all alone and knowing that he could have been the one to save her. Scratch that, it would be _impossible_ to live in such guilt and pain. Because he can't – and certainly won't – live a single day without her.

Absentmindedly his fingers trace his faded scar as she turns around yet again. Her eyes flutter open and she softly whispers, "Soul, is that you?"

He nods and tells her to sleep again, tells her that everything is okay, that he is fine. She pouts but still does as told. And he decides once again that he will, for sure, choose her life over his own if it comes down to it.


	3. Of ruined kitchens and dresses

_Hi guys! Once again, sorry for the late update. As mentioned before, I started a new job (which by the way isn't really making me that happy) and that's why I don't have that much time to write anymore which sucks. But of course I'll try to at least somewhat regularly update something here. I still have a lot of ideas, just need to find the time to write them all down._

 _This story is also from the old profile. I didn't change too much, just some sentences here and there. Anyway, I hope you enjoy reading! And if you find any mistakes or just want to say hi, don't hesitate to contact me. By the way, thanks to all the amazing people who have favorited this one-shot collection or added it to their Alert lists! You guys rock! :)_

 _Disclaimer: If I had the money to buy the Soul Eater IP, I would. But alas I do not have that much money, that's why it's still not mine._

* * *

How a ruined kitchen led to a ruined dress

* * *

"Gee, Soul, you're just the WORST!" Maka stomped away from him in rage, leaving the kitchen and running in angry circles around the coffee table in the living room. The kitchen was a mess. Someone (and Maka was sure it was Soul) had put something in a metallic bowl into the microwave, causing the lot to explode. Now the remains of what Maka assumed used to be noodle soup covered every single spot of the room, making it look like a giant slug had hugged the furniture.

She had been out shopping with her friends where she bought the light blue summer dress she was wearing now, only to return to a ruined kitchen. Naturally, she was pissed.

"You're saying that's MY fault?", Soul angrily asked, following Maka into the living room. He'd been peacefully taking a nap on his bed when he'd suddenly heard an explosion, immediately bolting from his room to see what had happened. Soul and Maka had entered the kitchen at the same time. He refused to face the consequences of something he hadn't done. But Maka was too thick-headed to see that it wasn't his fault this time.

"Of course, it's YOUR FAULT!" Maka glared at him from across the room and started another round around the coffee table. "I wasn't home when it happened! It HAD to be you!"

"But it WASN'T me!", he protested, following his Meister's every movement with his ruby red eyes. "I'm not THAT stupid to put a metallic bowl into the microwave!"

Maka stopped for a second to look at him angrily before she rounded the coffee table another time. Was it the fourth or the fifth time? Soul didn't know but he was getting dizzy from watching her run in circles. "Who knows?", Maka said. "You have done even stupider things before!"

Soul massaged his temples. He felt the headache already coming. Plus he was dizzy from watching how his Meister rounded the coffee table for the seventh time. Or perhaps it was the eighth time. "And what, for example?", he asked.

"For example, agreeing to Black Star's idea of doing a drinking tour through Death City!", she replied. "And getting caught by the police after peeing into the fountain while drunk!" She stomped her foot fiercely on the ground but didn't stop nonetheless. "You don't know how embarrassing it was to drag you out of the police station in that state! You were trying to hug me all the time and shouting complete nonsense until I had to calm you with a Maka Chop!"

Soul blinked. He didn't remember that. He knew he'd had a pretty bad hangover the next day and not to mention a pretty big bump on his forehead. But he didn't know that he'd tried to hug Maka.

"Or that one time", Maka continued, still not finished. "When you brought that arrogant little beast in here who, as you said, only wanted to use our telephone. Man, sometimes you're just so painfully blind! You didn't even notice that all she really wanted was to get into your bed!"

She gritted her teeth, remembering this episode made her extremely angry. Soul blinked again. Was that jealousy he was hearing in Maka's voice? "You don't know how hard it was to drive her out again while you were in the bathroom. She even dared to call me your 'jealous little fan', that beast!"

"So you _did_ kick her out!", Soul exclaimed, narrowing his eyes at his Meister. "Psh, even telling me she needed to go because she'd gotten a phone call from her dying grandma!"

"You should be glad that I kicked her out! She was a horrible person, and only interested in your body!", Maka said, finally stopping because she was getting dizzy herself.

"What do _you_ know?! Maybe I like girls like that!", he said to provoke her even further.

Maka only snorted as an answer.

"What?!" Now Soul was the one getting upset. Not that he didn't like the idea of Maka being jealous but sometimes she was just a pain in the ass. "What did you snort for?"

Maka, finally losing her temper, shouted, "Nothing! Why do I even care about you, you heartless bastard?! I hate you!" She tried to stomp past him to lock herself into her room. But Soul grabbed her by the wrist, holding her in place.

"Soul, let me go!", she shrieked without looking at him. "Leave me alone and go clean the mess in the kitchen!"

Instead of complaining or retorting something in the same fiery manner, Soul was quiet. Maka tried to pull her hand out from his grip but he only tightened it, making it impossible for her to flee from this situation.

"Say you didn't mean it", he suddenly said. His voice didn't sound upset anymore. Maka turned around to finally look at him, surprised to see how hurt he looked. The angry words died on the tip of her tongue. "Say that you didn't mean it", he repeated, looking up. Their eyes met and almost immediately Maka felt a wave of guilt wash over her. She quickly averted her gaze.

"What... Soul, I...", she stuttered, not knowing what to say. "I don't understand what you mean..."

"Look me in the eyes and tell me that you don't hate me", he said, grabbing her chin with his free hand to force her to look at him.

"Soul, I...", she started. Of course, she didn't really hate him. They were partners and friends after all. But why couldn't she look at him and say those words?

"Say it", he pressed on, letting go of her wrist but only to push her backwards until her back hit the wall behind her. His left hand still held her head in place while he placed his right hand on the wall next to her face. Leaning closer, Maka could see he was getting angry again. "God damn it, just say it, Maka!", he said through gritted teeth.

"I... Of course, I don't hate you!", she shrieked, trying to wriggle free. "Gee, Soul, what's your problem?! Let me go!"

But Soul didn't loosen his grip on her at all. Maka hated how helpless she felt right now.

"And now tell me", Soul said, baring his teeth. "Do you like that pathetic little weapon of Ox?"

Maka furrowed her eyebrows. "You mean Harvar?"

"I saw you talking to him yesterday. He was very _obviously_ staring at your chest, that asshole. Tell me, Maka, do you like him?"

Maka shot him an irritated look. "My God, Soul, no! Are you nuts?! He just asked me about homework, that's all! We didn't even speak for more than two minutes!"

"For him it was enough time to swoon over your body, dirty little bastard. Maybe I should break his neck to show him that no one messes with my Meister!" The way he said that caused goosebumps all over Maka's skin. She didn't fail to notice how he emphasized the word "my".

Soul ranted on, making plans on how to kill Harvar without leaving any traces. Maka wanted him to stop saying such nonsense because it scared her to see how much influence his anger had on his ability to judge. She didn't want him to kill Harvar, not because she particularly cared about Harvar but because she didn't want Soul to get into any trouble. While he ranted on, she noticed how his grip on her slowly loosened up. If there was only this one way to shut him up, then she would do it.

Maka finally wriggled free and cupped Soul's face in her hands before slamming her lips onto his. Soul's eyes widened as the words were cut off by Maka's sudden kiss. It lasted only a few seconds, then both broke apart for air.

Maka was panting when she said, "There, see? I don't like any other guys because I have never ever kissed anyone else. You're the only one I will ever kiss, okay?" She averted her eyes as she felt a rush of blood to her cheeks. It was not quite a confession but it was very close to it. Maka had never realized how strong her feelings for Soul were until now.

Soul was speechless, to say the least. He just stared at his Meister who, in turn, was biting on her lower lip and looking anywhere but his face. Then he snapped out of it and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him and diving in for another kiss. This time it was Maka's turn to be surprised. She quickly melted into it, however, and wrapped her arms around his neck. They were so into each other that they didn't even notice how the door to their apartment opened and how Blair walked in.

Only when Blair grinned and purred, "Nyah, you two seem to have a lot of fun when Blair isn't around", Soul and Maka jumped apart in shock. Maka's face was fire engine red while Soul refused to look anywhere else but the floor. Blair only snickered before she turned to walk into the kitchen to get some food.

Upon seeing the mess the kitchen was in, she stopped and made a strange sound. Maka looked up when Blair turned around with an apologetic look on her face.

"Nyah, Blair is sooooo sorry!", she purred. "Please, don't be angry with me, Maka!"

"Huh?" Maka didn't understand what Blair was talking about.

"Blair was so hungry earlier, so she put the soup in the microwave. But when it suddenly exploded, Blair got scared and quickly ran away! Soooo sorry!", Blair whined, changing into her cat form and looking small and pitiful.

"Huh?", Soul echoed.

"So... so it was you...", Maka stuttered, finally realizing she had been angry with the wrong person from the very beginning. Scratching the back of her head, she laughed nervously. "Guess it wasn't your fault this time, Soul. Sorry!"

The look he gave her turned her to stone. It was something between angry and... She gulped. Lustful. He narrowed his eyes at her, slowly creeping closer to her while growling, "Don't tell me I had to put up with your awful attitude for nothing!" He made a move to grab her but Maka was quick enough to jump to the side.

"I already said I'm sorry!", she squealed, dodging another of his attempts to catch her. Finally, she resorted to running away.

Soul bared his teeth before chasing after her. "Just you wait until I get you", he growled. A somewhat sinister and indecent grin appeared on his face. "Oh, what I won't do to you as soon as I catch you."

Maka gulped nervously and ran across the room, so that the coffee table was between her and Soul whose eyes were gleaming in quite a way she didn't really like. Soul made a jump to the right, so Maka's only chance to escape was to run around the coffee table on the left side.

Unfortunately, Blair was still curled into a little, pitiful ball. Maka almost stepped on her but could somehow make a lunge to avoid doing so. This movement, however, left her stumbling for a second, desperate to regain her balance. This second was enough for Soul to catch up, grabbing her around her waist and throwing her over his shoulder. Maka let out a surprised squeak. While she instantly felt her face heat up even more, Soul's lips stretched out into a smug grin.

"Gotcha", he breathed in a very seductive tone which sent shivers down Maka's spine.

"Gah, Soul, no!", she protested as she saw he started going into the direction of his bedroom. "Wait! I already said I'm sorry!"

"Don't think that's enough", he said, the smutty grin still on his face. "I'll show you how to apologize properly."

Maka thought she might pass out from the amount of blood rushing to her head all of a sudden, and she even stopped wriggling. "Blair, help me!", she mouthed but the cat only blinked at her before she concluded that it was better if she ran away again. At least for a few hours it was safer for her to not be in the apartment. With a last glance behind her back, Blair purred, "Sorry, Maka, it's better not to mess with the devil", before she jumped out of the open window in the living room.

"Ah, Blair, no! Don't leave me alone with this maniac!", Maka pleaded, stretching her hand out as if that would stop the cat from running away. She wondered why she hadn't come up with the idea of jumping out of the window before.

Said maniac grinned only wider before kicking open his bedroom door. "Here we are, my _dear._ "

Another squeal escaped Maka's lips as she was thrown onto Soul's bed. "L-Listen, Soul, I'm sure there's a different way for me to apologize!", she pleaded but her hopes were immediately crushed when she felt his hands run up and down her sides. Leaning over her, he placed a kiss on her throat. "No, I don't think so", he whispered smugly. Then he lifted his head to look into Maka's eyes. "You know", he breathed and the deep rumble of his voice sent another avalanche of shivers down her spine. "No matter how much I love that dress on you, I'm pretty sure it will look _even_ _better_ on my floor."

Maka gulped and at the same time her heart skipped a beat. All that was heard the next few hours was muffled moaning behind closed doors.

This night, Maka learned to never mess with the devil known as Soul Eater Evans ever again. Not to mention that Soul was also taught his very special lesson afterwards for ruining Maka's new dress - which, of course, involved a book, his skull and a very distinctive dent in it.


End file.
